Hero's Path Standard Format and Face the Hydra Challenge

Mike TurianMonday, September 23, 2013

Finals: October 30 through November 6times arranged with each of five champions

reat monsters stir in the world of Theros, and one of the mightiest among them is the many-headed horror, the Hydra. Heroes who have faced the beast are few, and far fewer remain who still draw breath and are willing to tell of it.

Now it is your turn. The call to glory has been issued, and the Hero's Path Standard format awaits. Will you accept and face the Hydra to stand among heroes?

Hero's Path Standard Format and Your Path to the Hydra

Theros introduces the new Hero's Path Standard format to Magic Online. To build your Hero's Path Standard deck, collect Hero Avatars during Theros Prerelease and Release events and use up to two unique Hero Avatars in your Standard-legal deck. If you are using the Wide Beta Client, select the Hero's Path format when building a new deck. Hero Avatars do not count toward your 60-card deck minimum, so your submitted deck may be 61 or more cards.

During play you will see Hero Avatars on the battlefield in the Wide Beta Client, and in the current client they will appear in the command zone window. You can activate these to take advantage of their effects, but they cannot be interacted with as permanents.

Then, starting October 24, bring your Hero's Path Standard-legal deck to one of five the five Face the Hydra Challenge Preliminaries which are scheduled through October 28. Here you will earn another Hero Avatar for your collection, The Slayer.

The SlayerFace the Hydra Challenge AvatarYou start the game with an additional 7 life.

Five heroes will emerge from the preliminaries as the chosen champions, battle-hardened and ready to face the ultimate opponent in the Finals: the Hydra. Members of the R&D team will assume the form of the terrifying Hydra, wielding a powerful Hydra-themed deck and bent on the destruction of all foolhardy heroes! Select events from the Face the Hydra Challenge Finals will be streamed live on our Magic Twitch.tv channel.

The R&D Hydra team:

Ryan Spain

Jon Loucks

Dave Guskin

Sam Stoddard

Dave Humpherys

Those five champions will earn the honor of facing the Hydra. If the majority of champions win against their Hydra opponent, all Magic Online players who logged in during the period from October 4 and November 6 will receive the the Hydra avatar.

Face the Hydra Challenge | October 24 - November 6

There will be five events October 24 through October 28, 2013, each with a single champion. Each champion will advance to the Face the Hydra Challenge Finals held between October 30 and November 6 at a time to be arranged with the champion.

If at least three of the five champions are victorious over their Hydra opponents during the Face the Hydra Challenge Finals, each champion will receive the Hydra avatar, and all Magic Online players who logged in during the period from October 4 through November 6 will also receive the Hydra avatar!

Hero's Path Standard Hydra Challenge Preliminaries

START TIMES

Five events, starting October 24 and running through October 28 (all event times are Pacific Daylight Time):

Event 1

Event 2

Event 3

Event 4

Event 5

ThursdayOctober 2410:00 AM PDT

FridayOctober 259:00 AM

SaturdayOctober 269:00 AM

SaturdayOctober 263:00 PM

MondayOctober 2810:00 AM

LOCATION

Scheduled Events room.

ENTRY OPTIONS

6 Event Tickets.

PRODUCT

Hero's Path Standard Deck.

SIZE

65 minimum, 128 maximum players.

DURATION

7 50-minute Swiss pairing rounds, followed by a Top 8. The Top 8 will consist of 3 rounds, single elimination.

PRIZES

Each player who participates in the Face the Hydra Challenge Preliminaries will receive the avatar, The Slayer.

Place

Prizes

QPs

1st

15 Theros booster packsInvitation to Face the Hydra Challenge Finals

6

2nd

12 Theros booster packs

5

3rd - 4th

8 Theros booster packs

4

5th - 8th

6 Theros booster packs

3

9th - 16th

4 Theros booster packs

0

17th - 32nd

2 Theros booster packs

0

33rd - 64th

1 Theros booster pack

0

The Hydra Avatar

Hero's Path Standard Hydra Challenge Finals

START TIMES

October 30 through November 6, times to be arranged with each of five champions from Preliminaries.

LOCATION

Open Play Challenge room.

ENTRY OPTIONS

Invitation-only.

PRODUCT

Hero's Path Standard Deck.

SIZE

One champion from each of five preliminaries versus the Hydra.

DURATION

Best 2 out of 3 matches.

PRIZES

Player Win: Player receives a complete set of premium foil Theros cards.Player Loss: Player receives a complete set of standard Theros cards.

ADDITIONAL PRIZES: If at least three of the five champions win their match against the Hydra, each champion will receive the Hydra avatar, and all Magic Online players who logged in during the period from October 4, 2013, through November 6, 2013, will also receive the Hydra avatar.